Okay, let’s break down this German parliamentary document (Bundestag Drucksache 21/77) about budget matters for 2025 and what it means for social entrepreneurship funding.
Headline: Preliminary Budget Management 2025: Approval of an Excess Commitment Authorization for Chapter 0902 Title 686 12 – Promotion of Community-Oriented Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Social Entrepreneurship) – Up to an Amount of 5.017 Million Euros (PDF)
What It Means in Simple Terms:
Essentially, this document is about the German government allocating extra money (up to 5.017 million Euros) to support social enterprises in 2025. Because the budget process isn’t fully finalized yet (“preliminary budget management”), they need special permission to make this commitment. It’s like saying, “We haven’t officially finished planning the budget, but we REALLY want to make sure we can support these social businesses, so we need permission to promise them this funding now.”
Detailed Breakdown:
-
Context: Vorläufige Haushaltsführung 2025 (Preliminary Budget Management 2025): Germany, like many countries, operates on a budget cycle. The “preliminary budget management” indicates that the full 2025 budget hasn’t been formally approved by the parliament (Bundestag). This is often due to political negotiations, unexpected economic shifts, or simply the time it takes to finalize a complex budget. During this period, government agencies are typically limited in their spending and commitments.
-
Unterrichtung (Information/Notification): This document is an “Unterrichtung,” meaning it’s a formal communication to the Bundestag informing them about a specific financial issue. It’s a notification of the government’s intention and a request for approval.
-
Erteilung einer überplanmäßigen Verpflichtungsermächtigung (Approval of an Excess Commitment Authorization): This is the key part. It means:
- Verpflichtungsermächtigung (Commitment Authorization): Permission to promise future spending. The government is asking for the authority to commit funds before they have the full budget in place.
- überplanmäßigen (Excess/Extra/Outside the Plan): The money needed is beyond what was originally planned or allocated in the draft budget. This could be because of unforeseen needs or a shift in priorities.
-
Kapitel 0902 Titel 686 12 (Chapter 0902 Title 686 12): This is a specific accounting code within the German government’s budget. It identifies a particular area of spending. In this case, it relates to the “Promotion of Community-Oriented Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.” This level of detail ensures accountability and transparency in government spending.
-
Förderung gemeinwohlorientierter kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen (Social Entrepreneurship) (Promotion of Community-Oriented Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Social Entrepreneurship)): This clarifies what the money is for:
- gemeinwohlorientierter (Community-Oriented): Focuses on benefiting society as a whole.
- kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – SMEs): Targeting smaller businesses, not large corporations.
- Social Entrepreneurship: This is a critical term. It means supporting businesses that have a social mission alongside making a profit. They might be addressing issues like poverty, environmental sustainability, education, or healthcare. Social enterprises are businesses that try to do good while also being financially sustainable.
-
bis zu einer Höhe von 5,017 Mio. Euro (Up to an Amount of 5.017 Million Euros): This is the maximum amount of money the government is requesting permission to commit. The actual amount spent could be less, but it won’t exceed this figure. The specific number is likely tied to specific projects or initiatives the government wants to support.
-
(PDF): The document is in PDF format.
Why Is This Important?
- Support for Social Enterprises: This document shows the German government’s commitment to supporting social enterprises. This is a recognition that these businesses play a vital role in addressing social and environmental challenges.
- Economic Development: Social enterprises often create jobs and contribute to local economies. Supporting them can be a way to promote inclusive growth.
- Innovation: Social enterprises are often innovative and develop new solutions to pressing problems. Government funding can help them scale up their impact.
- Political Process: This document offers a glimpse into the workings of the German parliamentary process and how budgets are approved. It demonstrates the level of detail and scrutiny involved in government spending.
In Conclusion:
This “Drucksache” is a request from the German government to spend up to 5.017 million Euros to support social enterprises in 2025, even before the full budget is approved. It’s a sign of their commitment to promoting businesses that address social and environmental problems. It highlights the importance of social entrepreneurship within Germany’s economic and social policy.
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-04-29 10:00, ’21/77: Unterrichtung Vorläufige Haushaltsführung 2025 Erteilung einer überplanmäßigen Verpflichtungsermächtigung bei Kapitel 0902 Titel 686 12 – Förderung gemeinwohlorientierter kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen (Social Entrepreneurship) – bis zu einer Höhe von 5,017 Mio. Euro (PDF)’ was published according to Drucksachen. Please write a detailed article with related information in an easy-to-understand manner. Please answer in English.
35